Cell alignment and elongation in the direction of anisotropic and aligned topographies are key manifestations of cellular contact guidance and are observed in many cell types. Whether this observation occurs through a universal mechanism remains to be established. In this Views article, we begin by presenting the most widely accepted model of topography-driven cell alignment which posits that anisotropic topographies impose lateral constraints on the growth of focal adhesions and actin stress fibers, thereby driving anisotropic force generation and cellular elongation and alignment. We then discuss particular scenarios where alternative or complementary mechanisms of cell alignment appear to be at play. These include the cases of specific cell types such as amoeboid-like cells and neurons as well as certain topography sizes. Finally, we review the role of the actin cytoskeleton in modulating topography-driven cell alignment and underscore the need for elucidating the role that other cytoskeletal elements play. We close by identifying key open questions the responses to which will significantly enhance our understanding of the role of cellular contact guidance in health and disease.

中文翻译：

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是否存在响应基板形貌的通用细胞排列机制？

各向异性方向上的细胞排列和伸长和排列的拓扑结构是细胞接触引导的关键表现，并且在许多细胞类型中都可以观察到。这种观察是否通过普遍机制发生仍有待确定。在这篇观点文章中，我们首先介绍最广泛接受的地形驱动细胞排列模型，该模型假定各向异性地形对粘着斑和肌动蛋白应力纤维的生长施加横向限制，从而驱动各向异性力的产生和细胞伸长和排列。然后，我们讨论了细胞排列的替代或互补机制似乎在起作用的特定场景。这些包括特定细胞类型的案例，例如变形虫样细胞和神经元以及某些地形大小。最后，我们回顾了肌动蛋白细胞骨架在调节地形驱动的细胞排列中的作用，并强调需要阐明其他细胞骨架元素所起的作用。最后，我们确定了关键的开放性问题，这些问题的回答将显着增强我们对细胞接触指导在健康和疾病中的作用的理解。